Motorway madness: Woman caught reading a book while driving

A video showing a woman reading a book while driving on the northern motorway in Auckland yesterday has brought a warning from the police about the life-changing dangers of being distracted on the road.

The video shows a motorcyclist driving past a red car when he notices the woman driver reading a book. He slows down for the car to pass, beeps a horn, gestures with a hand and shouts at the car driver "Put that f.... s... away.

The motorcyclist drives past the car a third time before the video ends.

Members of the Highway Express Truck NZ Facebook page, where the video appears, have shared their experiences of unorthodox behaviour by drivers, including a person cleaning their teeth, reading books, newspapers, folding washing, doing makeup, filling out a form and shaving with a razor.

Senior Sergeant Brett Henshaw said it is important that all drivers drive without distraction.

"Nobody wants to share the road with a driver who isn't paying full attention. It just takes one person, being distracted for one second, to potentially cause a life-changing crash," he said.

Henshaw said the footage, which appears to show the licence plate number of the car, has been referred to the Road Policing team for review and further action where appropriate.

Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour is encouraged to report it immediately to the police via 111. Other traffic offences can be reported on *555.